Sophie Wilmès
Sophie Wilmès (French pronunciation: [sɔfi wilmɛs]; born 15 January 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2019 to 2020. She later served as minister of Foreign Affairs from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Reformist Movement, she is the first woman to hold either position.
Sophie Wilmès | |
|---|---|
Wilmès in 2020 | |
| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 27 October 2019 – 1 October 2020 | |
| Monarch | Philippe |
| Deputy | Koen Geens Alexander De Croo Didier Reynders (2019) David Clarinval |
| Preceded by | Charles Michel |
| Succeeded by | Alexander De Croo |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 1 October 2020 – 14 July 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Alexander De Croo |
| Preceded by | Philippe Goffin (Foreign) David Clarinval (Deputy) |
| Succeeded by | Hadja Lahbib (Foreign) David Clarinval (Deputy) |
| Minister of Budget | |
| In office 22 September 2015 – 27 October 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Charles Michel |
| Preceded by | Hervé Jamar |
| Succeeded by | David Clarinval |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 January 1975 Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium |
| Political party | Reformist Movement |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Philippe Wilmès (father) |
| Education | Saint-Louis University, Brussels IHECS |
Wilmès was elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 2014, and served as budget minister in the first and second governments of Charles Michel from 2015 to 2019. In the aftermath of the 2019 Belgian federal election, Philippe of Belgium appointed Wilmès to lead a caretaker government (the Wilmès I Government) before she formed an executive government (the Wilmès II Government) in March 2020 to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2020, she joined the government of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo as foreign minister and deputy prime minister.